How to create a harmonious painting with a limited palette.

I am really enjoying creating videos to help artists with fundamentals of painting, and I seem to be getting good feedback, so I am going to continue here. In this video, I will show you how to make a harmonious painting from a limited palette, from a reference that you love! I chose this lovely abstract "Black Tangerine", oil on canvas, 2014, by Rose Marie Kossowan.




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Mountain Plein Air by Sharon Lynn Williams

 "Rundle Fall", 12 x 12" plein air oil on panel
$575 beautifully framed

I had the pleasure of painiting at beautiful Vermillion Lakes in Banff National Park last week. This is the iconic and world famous Rundle Mountain.

"Borgeau Fall", 12 x 12" plein air oil on panel
$575 beautifully framed

This is the view at the other end of the lake from Rundle. It was a gloriously warm day and the fall colours were brilliant.

Enjoy!

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Plein Air: Fall in the Mountains, by Sharon Lynn Williams

"Rundle Ridge Fall", 9x12" plein air oil
$495 beautifully framed

I had the pleasure of painting in the mountains of Canmore, AB with two of my best painting buddies this week. The fall colours were astounding and the sky cloudless, which made it easier on the artists.

"Quarry Lake Fall", 12x12" plein air oil
$575 beautifully framed

This was actually the first painting of the day. This is called "Little Sister" because it is the lowest of the Three Sisters, but it is the biggest mass-wise of the three.  No wonder I keep getting them confused!

These are my 'partners in crime': Dee Poisson on the left and Patti Dyment on the right. Both are great painters and make me laugh!

Enjoy!
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"From Fall To Winter", mixed media collage by Sharon Lynn Williams

"From Fall To Winter", 12 x 12" collage and acrylic paint
$475 framed, click here to purchase (this painting is currently in the Leighton Art Centre's Annual Members show -check it out!)

I am so far behind in posting my paintings, so am just picking and choosing what to post from my winter's production. While I love to paint in oil on location in the warm weather months, that is a relatively short period of time here in Calgary. I don't really enjoy paintng from photos in oil -it seems too easy to get caught up in all the 'stuff' that is in the photo, and for me it is hard to really connect with the place just from the photo. Now sometimes I can do that if I have taken the photo recently or if it holds a special meaning for me, but usually it is just 'nice stuff'.

 From November to May I spend time in my studio just painting whatever inspires me at the moment, and that is when I unleash my creativity. Perhaps that is one reason I look forward to the length of winter here every year! My winter passions go more to the abstract, and I really enjoy mixed media collage, accrylics and now encaustic.

I was having a crisis this morning, thinking that I should probably just do ONE thing, as this is the path so many of my artist friends have taken. But my darling husband reminded me that I am not everyone else, so why should my path look like everyone elses'? Plus he knows me -he knows I would get very bored only doing one thing, and it would make me miserable. I am in the blessed and enviable position that I don't need to rely on income from painting sales to eat. Which is VERY good!! This allows me the freedom to follow my muse, exploring everything about art making. It also helps me be a good teacher as I know how to use most mediums in most styles. I guess I should be happy being a 'jack of all trades', even if it means I am not a master in any. Que up the song "Don't worry, be happy".

I would love to hear your thoughts on the issue of focusing on one thing versus exploring the whole. I promise to respond to each comment.

Enjoy!
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